onceuponatimeabcfandomcom-20200216-history
User blog:Rena Charming/Miniview - "Smash the Mirror"
For the first time in maybe a long time watching this show (like, I don't even remember how long), I actually found myself on pins and needles because the stakes seemed to be higher than usual. Heck, even in the flashbacks I found myself rooting for Elsa and Anna's plan to work out even though we all know how it turned out in the end. The thing is, as enjoyable as it was to sit (lie) through this episode, I know it'll get so boring to rewatch. Like, I don't plan to actually rewatch it anytime soon. Maybe only when I watch the season with my mom. So yeah, episode was cool, but please, OUaT, steer away from 2-hour episodes from now on if they're not season finales. Seriously. I was just really not excited about watching this one - don't think I've ever been this less excited about the show before. But like I said, I hadn't been this excited actually watching an episode in some time. I really wanted to know how everything turned out. And at least I was smart enough to wait and download it and watch the whole thing uninterrupted. I feel sorry for those american buffoons and everyone else watching in livestream who sat through 85 minutes of show and 35 minutes of commercials. That is not a fair trade, mind you. Let's get started. As is usual this season, the episode began with location titles ("Arendelle", "Enchanted Forest"...) that were kind of less patronizing than usual because I probably wouldn't even care to guess where Ingrid was. Like, yeah, I just don't care. So I guess I don't mind being told either. Yadda yadda sorcerer's apprentice deals Emma in the woods lotsa stuff. Regina and Robin had what was the most sexualized scene in the history of this show ever. He actually felt up her ass. I was shocked. And no I didn't swoon, all of it was cringe-worthy and disgusting to me. Not the adultery part, I don't care about that, I love adultery in my soaps. I just don't give a crap about this storyline at all. I was so disappointed when I saw the script tease that indicated Robin requested Will's assistance to help Regina. But their story wasn't too bad. Still feels very, very wrong that Will is a regular and Robin isn't when Robin is clearly the dominating presence in their shared scenes. Another point on the Outlaw Queen story before I move on to better things: as wonderful as it was to have so much interaction between Snow and Regina, I am baffled at how much Mary Margaret ships Outlaw Queen! I liked the point she made about having been with a married man before (I think she implied they had sex, which I didn't think they had...), but, I mean, it's more complicated than that, cos, well, Marian's frozen? And yes the writers clearly forget that Marian gave up her life for Snow White. Like, that's just not even a thing anymore, Snow doesn't care, she's too happy with how she and stepmommy are finally getting along after years and years of Regina refusing to play dolls with her. What else...? Emma got some great character development even though it actually seems as though she didn't do much throughout the two hours. Rumplestiltskin was AMAZING! I haven't hated him this much in such a long time either, if ever. He's just the devil. He's the worst he's ever been and his motivations for such are wonderful and logical considering what we've seen of the character so far. His arc actually makes sense, unlike the Snow Queen's. I do like her obsession but it seems like she's so... grounded, you know? We all know her idea to replace her two sisters with two new ones is psychotic. Sociopathic? Your mother. But she apparently has been talking about it forever. For decades on end, she's wanted to reunite with two magical sisters, and the way she talks about that plan is so... I don't know, it doesn't feel crazy, but not in a good way. Gosh I really don't know how to explain this, it should be good that she's crazy and doesn't know she's crazy because truly crazy people don't know they are, but the way she talks about her plan in such an exposition-heavy way sounds sane in a less-than-interesting way. Gaah I don't know how to put it, but I hate it, there. It's just an odd vibe I get from her that doesn't sit right with me. Well, Anna and Kristoff are frozen, so there? They're obviously gonna be unfrozen, so the question becomes whether Hans is unfrozen along with them. He should, right? The stuff in the flashbacks was better than I expected it to be, despite it being basically Frozen 2, and despite me knowing it'll be what's most boring about rewatching this episode. Ummmmm nothing really surprising about Elsa saving Emma and the Savior not going through with the plan. What's surprising is that no one's caught on to Gold yet except for Hook who is now under his control. I liked that the answer to the cliffhanger from the previous episode was that Gold needs Hook's heart because they met before he was the Dark One, and as wonderful as it is that Belle's long streak of appearances came to an end, I hate that she wasn't around to hear Hook's phone call. When he said Rumple had given her a fake dagger, I really expected her to be there and hear him. Like, otherwise, why did he even need to bring that up? Just more needless exposition. Whatever then. Ugh, Belle, get a brain. Snow and Charming were remarkably stupid once more for just allowing Emma to go through with her plan, but I liked them admitting that they'd been rationalizing, so kudos for that. The book stuff really came into focus which is nice, but I'm still a bit eh on the book actually possibly dictating the future or past or whatever. I just figured it told stories. Now it even presents us with options or something, I don't know. Cba to even think about it, I'll just let it unfold. I just know the Sorcerer better be called Yen Sid and the apprentice better be called Mickey. There. What's with all the shade on Happy? Such meta. The promo for "Fall" leads me to believe it'll be a rather slow-paced episode, that just drags and drags about how the spell of "shattered sight" is an imminent threat, but the results of it only gradually - and very rarely - pop up throughout the 40 minutes. Then it finally gets focus in, well, "Shattered Sight". I really hope the show doesn't come back after a 2-week wait (does anyone watch the American Music Awards? I only hear about it cos of OUaT) with what could basically be a filler episode. We don't even know if there's any flashbacks in it... I hope so. I really should have more to say about a 2-hour episode but I don't and cba to carry on, write your own damn reviews. 'Rating the Episode' *''Flashback story'' - 4 out of 5 stars. Good stuff, entertaining, rather low-key on most points. *''Present-day action'' - 4 out of 5 stars. It somehow feels like a very self-contained episode despite the fact that it really stems from the previous one and sets stuff up for the very next one. *''Usage of cast'' - 5 out of 5 stars. Tbh. Belle was absent but that was good for me, especially that she missed both parts. In fact, the entire featured cast of note was in both parts, Will was brought more to the forefront, by Robin's side, and the entire mainies got to just sit down several times and conversate, interact with one another, whilst the action still took place. *''Writing'' - 4 out of 5 stars. The meta references to Happy were probably the best part. All in all, the writing was good, can't remember clunky dialogue. There was a flub, that can be chalked up to either writing, acting or editing: Mary Margaret calls Emma, hangs up and says something like, "she has to do something and then she'll be home for hot cocoa", and we know there's no way in hell Emma could have actually said all of that in the short time she and Mary Margaret spoke - stuff like this happens a lot on TV. But no biggie. Overall rating: 17/20. Didn't really expect such a high rating. Oh well. I suppose structurally it's a very good episode that works. Category:Blog posts